Herald Blogs

A dozen killings in less than a month

Twelve people have been murdered in Broward since Jan. 1. That's three more than this time last year.

The most recent homicide victim in the county is a woman in her 40s, who was found dead in Hollywood this morning. No details yet on who she is and why she was killed.

Here's what we know so far:

A woman was walking her dog near Oakridge Elementary around 8 a.m. when she spotted the body on a sidewalk on the south side of the school.

The dead woman was found laying in the fetal position, partially naked. Her body suffered "blunt force trauma" in several areas, police say. That means, she may have been beaten. Until an autopsy is done, police won't know what caused her to die.

Neighbors in the quaint neighborhood, located just east of Interstate 95 and south of Sheridan Street, were shocked to learn of the murder.

"Things like this don't happen here," said Christine Bauduin, whose home is across the street from the sidewalk where the body was found. "It's usually very quiet."

The neighborhood is so safe, Bauduin said, that kids regularly ride bike with their friends and play on their front lawns.